WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/783 
21 June 2007 
 
 (07-2626) 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
DECLARATION AS A COUNTRY FREE OF CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER 
 
Communication by Panama  
 
 
 The following communication, received on 14 June 2007, is being circulated at the request of 
Panama.  
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 1. On the basis of the measures set forth in Chapter 2.6.7 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code 
of the World Organization for Animal Health (O IE) applied in the national territory, Panama 
submitted to the last general session of the OIE a declaration of its status as a "country free of classical swine fever (CSF)". 
2. There is no evidence of any cases of CSF in Pana ma since 1962, when the last outbreak took 
place.  Since then, serological monitoring has b een carried out using the Enzyme-Linked-Immuno-
Sorbent Assay (ELISA) technique, and the results have been negative.  Since 1999, with the 
implementation of the Classical Swine Fever Prevention Programme (PREFIP), serological monitoring of CSF has been reinforced through the adoption of a sampling design at the national 
level. 
3. Law No. 23 of 15 July 1997 sets out the prevention measures to be taken to ensure that the 
virus is not introduced into the territory of Panama, with port, airport and border controls in which the 
agricultural quarantine staff conducts rigorous inspec tions of equipment, cargo, means of transport, 
waste, and so forth, applying the necessary health measures to reduce the risk of this and other 
diseases entering the country. 
4. Law No. 6 of 30 March 1993 establishes "an anim al inspection zone in the border area with 
Colombia", a zone in which the raising, fatteni ng, processing, purchase or sale of cattle, swine or 
other cloven hoofed animals is prohibited, and in which only the confined rearing and fattening for 
domestic consumption is permitted subject to au thorization by the Ministry of Agricultural 
Development (MIDA).  Although this health measure was imposed to prevent the introduction of foot 
and mouth disease, the monitoring thereof has mean t that there has been an epidemiological 
surveillance of CSF. 
5. Resolution ALP 033-ADM-02 of 28 August 2002 from the Ministry of Agricultural 
Development establishes controls for the domestic m ovement of animals, strategically dividing the 
country from the animal health point of view into  five zones:  West, Central, Centre, East, and 
Atlantic (see Figure 1), delimited by sanitary cordons  controlled by checkpoints.  Swine destined for 
slaughter, exhibitions, shows, reproduction and fattening are only allowed through the checkpoints 
subject to the presentation of health documents such  as:  a health certificate, an animal movement G/SPS/GEN/783 
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  certificate, negative laboratory test results for viruses of the Flaviviridae family, genus Pestivirus , to 
which CSF belongs . 
Figure 1:  Animal health zones 
 
 
6. Resolution No. DAL-093-ADM-2005 of 15 November 2005 resulted in the creation within 
the MIDA of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Evaluation Unit (UNESYF) as the body responsible for 
the health assessment of countries and of processing pl ants and establishments in order to determine 
whether or not they are eligible to export live swine, semen and/or swine embryos and check for 
contaminated material destined for Panama. 
7. In Panama, 61.62 per cent of the swine population are raised on technological farms, while 
38.38 per cent are raised in backyard farms.  This  represents an indispensable tool for implementing 
the CSF Prevention Programme. 
Swine Production Centres 
 
Type Number of farms Number of swine 
Technological 249 201,645 
Backyard 13,243 125,608 
Total 13,492 327,253 
 Source : MIDA-COPEG 2006 
 
It should be noted that backyard animals in  Panama are kept in pens, and are not free 
roaming;  there is a downward trend. 
8. 1999 saw the launching of the CSF Prevention Programme, which helped to strengthen the 
technical and financial commitment, to build up the cap acity of the technical staff in the field, and to 
expand the scope of the prevention efforts. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT 
NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH DIRECTORATE 
ANIMAL HEALTH ZONES 
East 
Centre Atlantic 
Central 
Wes
t  G/SPS/GEN/783 
 Page 3 
 
 
  9. In 2000 and 2001, sampling was conducted in the technological and backyard farms:  of the 
2,053 samples collected, all were negative.  In 2002, 265 backyard samples were collected on 
78 farms, and in 2003 a total 1,200 samples were collected, all of which were negative 
(backyard/technological). 
10. In 2004, a sampling design was adopted for backya rd animals at the national level, in which 
the risk was categorized by municipality, with a tota l of 900 samples, all of which were negative.  
And this year saw the preparation of the documen t supporting Panama's status as a CSF-free country, 
which was sent to the OIE. 
11. In 2005, sampling was conducted in the sl aughterhouses serving the technological farms 
(approximately 2,146 samples);  in 2006, sampli ng was again conducted in the slaughterhouses 
serving the technological farms (2,146 samples) and among backyard animals (900 samples).  The 
results were negative in both cases. 
12. In the course of 2007, samples are being coll ected on a monthly basis in each of the ten 
regions of the country with a view to pr ocessing 1,122 samples from backyard animals and 
2,160 samples from technological farms by the end of the year. 
Timetable of serological surveillance of classical swine fever 
 
Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 
Total number of 
samples 3900 2053 265 1200 900 2146 3046 3282 
* Samples were taken from sl aughterhouses serving technological farm s and in backyard farms within the 
national territory. 
 
13. The CSF Prevention Programme includes education and training of all technical staff with 
respect to the disease.  This continuing education in volves chats and meetings with producers, and in 
April 2007, the "second simulation" was conducted to help build up the technical capacity of staff in 
the Veterinary Services and other entities involved in  dealing with emergencies in the country.  In 
addition, there is a Technical Manual of Rules and Procedures for the Notification and Eradication of 
Outbreaks of Classical Swine Fever in the Republ ic of Panama, which sets out the actions and 
measures to take in case of a health emergency.  This manual is disseminated in the meetings held 
with producers and is included in the simu lations planned within the national territory. 
14. There is an emergency plan to deal with ou tbreaks of any exotic disease which sets out the 
Government's general policies for combating the di sease and all of the possible strategies to be 
implemented depending on the actual nature of the out break, the extent to which it has spread at the 
time of detection, and the socio-political and eco nomic implications involved in combating the 
disease. 
15. The emergency plan also covers institutiona l organization, administrative procedures for 
obtaining and using emergency funds, and inter action among the MIDA operational units and other 
State institutions. 
16. Where a disease is suspected, the National Animal Health Emergency System (SINESA), 
established by executive Decree No. 168 of 5 November 2001 is triggered, immediately bringing the Animal Health Emergency Programme Implemen tation Group (GEPESA) into action.  Thus, the 
procedures for the prevention, control and/or eradi cation of an outbreak of CSF in Panama are in 
place. G/SPS/GEN/783 
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  17. For further information, contact the Ministry of Agricultural Development, Altos de Curundu, 
Avenida Manuel E. Melo, Edificio 575, Pana ma City, Panama;  tel.:  +507-507-0707; 
fax:  +507-507-0886;  e-mail:  ebravo@mida.gob.pa
. 
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